Guides & planning tools
In-depth guides and interactive tools for tax strategy, account optimization, benefit timing, and withdrawal planning — for Canada and the US.
Planning Tools
FIRE Calculator — Financial Independence Planner
Calculate your financial independence number with real tax calculations, not just the 25x rule. Full FIRE planning for Canada and the US with Monte Carlo stress testing.
InteractiveFree Retirement Calculator for Canada
Plan your Canadian retirement with full RRSP, TFSA, CPP, OAS, and GIS calculations. Monte Carlo simulations and province-specific tax engines for all 13 provinces and territories.
InteractiveFree Retirement Calculator for the US
Plan your retirement with full Social Security, Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, 401(k), and HSA calculations. State-specific tax engines for all 50 states.
Strategy
Portfolio Line of Credit (PLOC/SBLOC) in Retirement
How securities-backed lines of credit can reduce taxes in retirement by deferring portfolio withdrawals. Risks, costs, and when it makes sense.
Savings Splitting Strategy for Couples
How to split retirement savings between partners to minimize tax and maximize growth. Proportional, max higher earner, and equal split strategies compared.
Historical Backtesting: Test Your Retirement Plan Against 150 Years of Real Markets
Run your full retirement plan through every market period since 1871. See how your savings, taxes, and benefits would have performed through the Great Depression, stagflation, dot-com crash, and more.
Monte Carlo Simulation for Retirement: Why Average Returns Lie
A 6% average return means nothing if a crash hits in year one. Monte Carlo simulation tests your plan against 1,000+ scenarios to show the real probability your money lasts.
Retirement Withdrawal Order: Which Accounts to Draw From First
The order you withdraw from RRSP, TFSA, and non-registered accounts (or IRA, Roth, and taxable) can save $50,000–$150,000 in lifetime taxes. Four strategies compared.
Beyond the 4% Rule: Guyton-Klinger, VPW, and Smarter Spending Strategies
The 4% rule is a starting point, not the answer. Compare Fixed, Guyton-Klinger guardrails, and Variable Percentage Withdrawal to find your optimal spending strategy.
How Much Do You Need to Save for Retirement?
Why the 25x rule and 4% rule fall short. A realistic framework for calculating your retirement number based on your actual tax situation and benefits.
RRIF Minimum Withdrawal Rates & Rules
The complete RRIF minimum withdrawal schedule, conversion rules, tax implications, and strategies to minimize your tax bill in retirement.
Canadian Accounts
Spousal RRSP: Rules, Attribution, and Strategy
How the spousal RRSP works, the 3-year attribution rule, and strategies for income splitting before age 65. Avoid the most common spousal RRSP mistakes.
Asset Location: What to Hold in Your TFSA, RRSP, and Non-Registered Accounts
A practical guide to asset location for Canadians: which investments to hold in your TFSA, RRSP, and non-registered accounts for maximum tax efficiency. Includes the foreign withholding tax wrinkle and complete examples.
FHSA Complete Guide: Canada's Tax-Free Home Savings Account
Everything you need to know about the First Home Savings Account: eligibility, contribution limits, tax treatment, FHSA vs RRSP Home Buyers' Plan, and strategies for first-time buyers.
RRSP Meltdown Strategy: A Complete Guide
Learn how the RRSP meltdown strategy can save you tens of thousands in taxes. When to start, how much to withdraw, and how to avoid the OAS clawback.
InteractiveRRSP Withdrawal Calculator
Calculate the tax impact of RRSP withdrawals at any age. Model RRSP meltdown strategies, RRIF conversions, and find the optimal withdrawal bracket for your province.
InteractiveTFSA Growth & Contribution Calculator
Calculate your TFSA contribution room, project tax-free growth, and see how your TFSA fits into your overall retirement plan alongside RRSP, CPP, and OAS.
TFSA vs RRSP: Which Should You Prioritize?
A clear framework for choosing between TFSA and RRSP based on your income, tax bracket, and retirement goals. With examples.
Canadian Benefits
GIS (Guaranteed Income Supplement): Eligibility, Clawback, and Optimization
GIS can add $10,000–$20,000/year in tax-free income for low-income Canadian seniors. How the clawback works and why TFSA-first strategies maximize your benefit.
OAS Clawback: How It Works and How to Avoid It
The OAS recovery tax can cost Canadian retirees $8,000+ per year. Learn the threshold, effective rates, and five strategies to reduce or eliminate the clawback.
Pension Income Splitting in Canada: Rules and Strategy
How pension income splitting works, what income qualifies, and how to optimize the split to save $5,000–$15,000+ per year in combined household tax.
InteractiveCPP Benefit Calculator: Estimate Your Canada Pension Plan Income
Calculate your CPP benefit at any claiming age. Understand how contributory period, drop-out provisions, CPP2, and early vs late claiming affect your Canada Pension Plan income.
When to Take CPP: Age 60, 65, or 70?
Break-even analysis for CPP claiming ages. See how health, income, and OAS interact with your CPP decision.
US Accounts
HSA Retirement Strategy: The Triple Tax Advantage
The HSA is the only US account with tax-deductible contributions, tax-free growth, and tax-free medical withdrawals. How to use it as a retirement account.
401(k) Rollovers & IRA Rules: Complete Guide
Everything you need to know about rolling over a 401(k) to an IRA: direct vs indirect rollovers, tax implications, the 60-day rule, and common mistakes to avoid.
Backdoor Roth IRA: How It Works and the Pro-Rata Rule
Step-by-step guide to the backdoor Roth IRA strategy for high earners. Understand the pro-rata rule, how to avoid it, and when the backdoor Roth is worth the effort.
Traditional 401(k) vs Roth 401(k): Which Is Right for You?
Compare Traditional and Roth 401(k) contributions: tax treatment, employer match rules, contribution limits, and when each option wins based on your income and timeline.
Traditional IRA vs Roth IRA: Complete Comparison
Detailed comparison of Traditional and Roth IRAs: tax treatment, contribution limits, income limits, RMDs, and a framework for choosing the right account based on your situation.
Roth Conversion Strategy: When and How Much
A practical guide to Roth conversions. Bracket filling, IRMAA thresholds, and how to minimize lifetime taxes on your retirement savings.
US Benefits
Medicare Eligibility & Health Insurance Before 65: Early Retirement Planning
How to bridge the health insurance gap between early retirement and Medicare at 65. ACA subsidies, COBRA, cost estimates, IRMAA surcharges, and strategies to minimize healthcare costs.
InteractiveSocial Security Calculator: Find Your Optimal Claiming Age
Calculate your Social Security benefit at any claiming age from 62 to 70. See the break-even analysis, spousal benefit coordination, and how Social Security is taxed alongside your IRA and 401(k) withdrawals.
Social Security Spousal & Survivor Benefits: What Couples Need to Know
How Social Security spousal and survivor benefits work, coordinated claiming strategies for couples, and common mistakes that cost households thousands in lifetime benefits.
Real Estate
Using Home Equity in Retirement: HELOC, Downsizing, and Strategy
Your home may be your largest asset. How to model downsizing, HELOC strategies, and sell-and-rent scenarios in your retirement plan.
Rental Property Income in Retirement: How to Model It
How rental income interacts with taxes, OAS clawback, GIS, and Social Security in retirement. Model rental properties alongside your investment portfolio.
Buy vs Rent: How Housing Affects Your Retirement Plan
A practical framework for the buy vs rent decision through a retirement planning lens. The 5% rule, opportunity cost of homeownership, and how housing fits into your long-term financial plan.
Documentation
Account Types and Tax Treatment
Complete reference for Canadian and US retirement account types: RRSP, TFSA, FHSA, 401(k), IRA, Roth, HSA — contribution limits, tax rules, and mandatory withdrawals.
Budget and Spending Modes
Three spending modes for your retirement projection: Manual, Budget Plan, and Actual. Import transactions from CSV, OFX, or YNAB.
Understanding Your Cinder Score
How the Cinder Score works: six weighted components that measure your retirement readiness on a 0–100 scale.
Getting Started with Cinderfi
Set up your retirement plan in minutes. Complete the wizard, explore your projection, adjust your strategy, and compare scenarios.
Release Notes
What's new in Cinderfi — features, improvements, and fixes shipped to date. Strategy Optimizer, per-account returns, real estate planning, GIS modeling, and more.
Roadmap
What we're building next: historical backtesting, rental properties, life events timeline, survivor scenarios, AI advisor, and more.
Scenarios: Compare Different Plans
Create and compare retirement scenarios. 16 templates for timing, spending, markets, strategy, and real estate what-if analysis.
Withdrawal Strategy & Optimizer
How to use Cinderfi's Strategy Bar and Strategy Optimizer to find the best withdrawal order, benefit timing, and tax optimization for your retirement plan.
Put the strategy into action
Turn what you've learned into a year-by-year plan with real tax math.
Build Your Plan — Free